Archive for the ‘Trends’ Category

It’s 2008 and by now the majority of people know what a blog is and many people have even adopted “really simple syndication” or “RSS” as a valuable tool whereas just a few years ago, these terms were relatively unknown by most (now, a Google search for “blogging” returns 55.6+ million results).

With the rise in popularity and the spread of blogging, more people and businesses are using blogs to communicate and accomplish Internet objectives than ever before. As a result, the clutter is building and the number of “junk blogs” is growing. More and more people are starting blogs and then abandoning them or starting blogs that simply pale in comparison to quality, useful, and fresh blog content.

Despite the increasing number of blogs in cyberspace, there is still only an estimated 5% of small businesses (less than 100 employees) that are blogging. There is also a growing uprising of blog readers that are looking for valuable content written by experts and passionate fans rather than from people trying to simply make a buck or sell a product. If you own a small business or work for one, you already have the “expert qualifier”! If you have a strong business web presence, build in a blog and let your business lend credibility to your blog, just as the reverse is true.

To help you get started, check out these great resources:

• The Blogging Starter Checklist (an excellent Squidoo Lens)
• How to Leverage the Power of Social Media to Market Your Blog
• ProBlogger.net (an excellent blogging resource)
• 15 Powerful Ways to Differentiate Your Blog from the Crowd
• 4 Tips for Making 2008 Your Blog’s Best Year Yet
• Exposed! 10 Secret Habits of Top Bloggers

Here’s a great video with advice on business blogging.

And here’s a great video on using WordPress (one of the most popular open source blog applications and the blog software that we use for this blog).

Here are the final five of a list of ten current trends that will affect how 2008 shapes up. I will continue this thread by writing a multi-part segment on how you can take advantage of each trend this year.

The World Continues To Flatten
In 2008, the trend of globalization will continue to garnish more than clever book titles.  Every day that passes, more and more communication barriers are eliminated and more and more tools are created that make going multinational or outsourcing labor easier.  It’s now possible for a start-up company with two employees in a basement in a small town in Iowa to pick up a supplier in China and market to Europe. As governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals continue adopting and adjusting their “global paradigm” look for continued “flattening” of the world as 2008 brings more people together across boundaries than ever before.

Group Think Is In
In a time where Americans are overwhelmed with national and local issues that need attention, we will band together in 2008 to speak up and take action on our issues.  Websites and traditional mediums will be used to speak up about issues as Americans find they can relate to one another better than ever when their neighbors down the street are losing their home equity too.  My prediction is social networks and websites like Squidoo will only make it easier for people to connect on an issue, discuss it, and then take action as a group.  With each day that passes, the voices of Americans have the potential to carry farther and farther with the power of the Internet.

The Green Life
In 2008, going green will continue to be as trendy as ever, but individuals will take a step back from the hype to determine how they really feel about the environment and what impact/difference they personally want to make.  This year, what started out as an impersonal movement of the masses will become something closer to home as individuals take the environment more personally.  The good news is it’s not just individuals that will be committed to the green life.  Companies will continue pushing for anything green and the barriers to entry will continue melting away as it becomes more and more affordable to make the change.  Look for more and more companies and websites to form around “going green” as what started with An Inconvenient Truth grows up into a full-scale personal movement.

Cell Phones (and how they’re used) Evolve
Most of us know that 2007 was the year of the iPhone.  The iPhone came to us as a beacon of light in the realm of boring business/productivity cell phones.  The shelves have been stocked with bulky, outdated phones and with the arrival of the iPhone the stakes are now much higher.  Cell phone companies are now finally improving their products and 2008 will enjoy an upcoming batch of business/productivity cell phones and corresponding mobile web and software improvements that are focused on providing power and a comprehensive feature set while being simple and sexy to boot.

Marketing Gets More Creative
According to Advertising Age, 2008 marks a year where making an impact on consumers through advertising will be as difficult as ever.  Individual disposable income continues to shrink as housing problems, the weak dollar, high gas prices, and tight credit continue gripping the pocket book of American consumers.  Consumers are also more distracted than ever, with media vying for our attention from every screen in our homes.  As a result, marketers and advertisers will strive to be as creative as ever in their ads, their mediums, and the ways in which they reach their audience.  The Internet will grow, but new mediums and ways of reaching audiences will be uncovered as a result of a need for effective, measurable, and affordable advertising continues.

Here are the first five of a list of ten current trends that will affect how 2008 shapes up.  After posting the final five trends, I will write a multi-part segment on how you can take advantage of each trend this year.

Growth In The Interactive Marketing Segment
Interactive marketing, which includes search engine marketing, e-mail marketing, online content and video ads, mobile marketing, and social media marketing, is consistently growing as a key advertising category.  Over the next few years, spending on interactive marketing will more than triple, reaching $61 billion USD by 2012 according to Forrester Research.  Interactive marketing currently makes up just 8% of all advertising spending and with the growth trend this percentage should increase to 18% by 2012.

Traditional to Alternative Media
Advertising in traditional media, like newspapers and magazines, will continue to be a key part of advertising campaigns, but more and more advertisers will experiment with or allocate portions of their budget to new, alternative media.  Many marketers and advertisers are realizing better and more measurable ROI and each day the shift to new media will continue with alternative advertising spending being estimated to increase more than 21% from 2006 to 2011 while traditional advertising’s compound growth rate will stall at roughly 1% per year, according to a communications industry forecast published by Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

Blogging: Everyone Isn’t An Expert
Over the past several years, it seems like everybody and their Mom has started a blog.  The word “blog” has moved from web jargon to a household term.  When there are too many options and too much supply, demand usually wanes.  I don’t think there are or can be “too many” blogs, but in 2008, people will narrow down their RSS feeds and will look for experts.  With more bloggers out there than at any other time, people are beginning to realize they have many options on many topics when it comes to valuable and original content.  Also, many individuals and companies that started blogs and joined the blogging bandwagon have let their blogs fall to the wayside or haven’t had much success, so I predict a natural correction is taking place as the committed and original bloggers are separated from bloggers simply looking to join the bandwagon or make more money by pitching their products/services on a blog.

Social Networking: Expansion, Explosion, and Older Age Groups
Sure, every teenager and most twenty-somethings are fully immersed in the social networking realm, utilizing websites like Facebook and mySpace to manage their friendships, pictures, etc…  In 2008, social networking will expand and explode with niche social networking websites cropping up around every topic imaginable.  Tools like Ning makes this more possible than ever.    Social networking will also be utilized by older age groups as Mom and Dad and Grandpa and Grandma begin using social networking websites to make more efficient use of their time, stay connected with love ones, and share their media.

Small IS The New Big
Is a “multinational microbusiness” a contradiction or the future norm?  In 2008, small continues to dominate as small businesses are further enabled to be more nimble, more global, and more innovative via technology improvements.  With web 2.0, social networking, and more web applications than you can handle, it will become easier and easier to brainstorm an idea, deploy a business, and follow-through without being GE or having Warren Buffet as your financial backer.

Part Two Teaser: The World Continues To Flatten, Group Think Is In, The Green Life, Cell Phones (and how they’re used) Evolve, and Marketing Gets More Creative